For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/030608.shtml
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you, and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven! Jesus says we are blessed when we are persecuted, not when we are praised. He says this because he does not wish for us to become self-absorbed like those to whom He is speaking in today’s Gospel. For them, human praise is the greatest good. Human praise is more important to them than listening to the words of Jesus or of John or of Moses or of Jesus’ heavenly Father. It cannot be this way, however for us who are disciples of Jesus. We all feel a strong need to be liked by others. We oftentimes sense our need to enjoy a good reputation more than we sense our need for God. Our need for God, however, must win out in the end. If the only praise we receive is the praise of our fellow men, and if we even need to lie and to boast in order to win this praise, then it is better to be persecuted by men. If persecuted by men, we can be more certain that we will be able to recognize the works of God, and be able to listen to his words, which are spirit and life!
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